Archive for the 'Self Improvement Center' Category
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
Bosses always want to boost morale, improve communication between staff members and in the end increase productivity, so why don’t all organisations send their staff to team development events?
Is it because some of these courses can suffer because they evoke negative thoughts – many connected to the humorous events portrayed on TV shows?
For certain, the wisdom of David Brent from television’s “The Office” have forced middle management personnel to look in the mirror and wonder if that’s who they reflect.
Amongst Brent’s many, now well-known, quotes the one that most accurately summarises his thinking about working as a team reads: “There may be no ‘I’ in team, but there’s a ‘ME’ if you look hard enough”.
If you watched the show, you may remember the funny instalment in which a team development expert visited the Wernam Hogg offices. Brent quickly took control, and transformed the meeting into essentially a celebration of him, including an interpretation of his seminal 1980s pop ballad “Free Love on the Freelove Freeway” on acoustic guitar.
However, in real life team development events are nothing like the cringe worthy and soul-destroying nightmare depicted in the show.
Many organisations across the country now offer business organisations the chance to take their staff out of the office and away on a team building day.
Team building allows staff members to learn and develop the tools and skills essential to push business growth plus sustain development and improvement.
And despite worldwide economies being in the midst of a recession, staff development remains essential to business growth. In fact, it is even more important, as when the recession stops there will certainly be chances for the best-run businesses to take advantage of the developing market.
Team development can take many forms, from in-house teaching to getting out into the wilderness and taking part in adventure courses, high ropes trails and personal challenges – which will certainly inspire and be memorable for staff members.
All of these activities are fashioned to encourage staff – regardless of age or background – to work as part of a team for the common aim of your company, and they all add to the common long-term goals of your organisation.
So team development events are essential to the growth of any business. Just don’t copy David Brent, a man whose hiring policy was simple: “Avoid employing unlucky people – throw half of the pile of CVs in the bin without reading them”.
Posted in Economy, Looking for Adventure, Self Improvement Center | Comments Off
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
Never in my lifetime would I have thought that I would endure hair loss. I was surprised to find out that my hairline was receding shortly before my 30th birthday. It was rough to believe that I was losing my hair. I was also starting to lose hair on the back of my head.
For the first time in my life, I felt old. I felt like the best years of my life were behind me. I even stopped seeing girls. My love life was nearly non-existent. There was one girl I had been dating nonchalantly and even though I liked her, I just stopped returning her calls. I realised that I hadn’t found the woman of my dreams with a full head of hair so there was no way I was going to find somebody with my growing bald spot. I was too demoralized to even try having a romantic relationship.
Hair loss turned me into a depressed loner, I used to be a confident and outgoing person. I was persistent to get the problem fixed and started looking for a solution. I started exploring various hair loss treatments that are available in the counter. I have tried every single treatment and solution obtainable from the pharmacy, nothing worked. After that, I just stopped trying for a while. It was a real low point in my life. I even stopped going out with my friends, I was so demoralized.
Fortuitously, one night a good friend of mine took me out for a few beverages. Throughout the night, he observed was I looked a little down. It took him a little while to figure out why. He told me about the hair loss studio in the city. My friend had gone there for hair loss treatments and had been impressed with the results. I was even more impressed. He had no sign of hair loss, he had a full head of hair. He made me promise to give them a shot and I agreed.
I could not have been happier with the hair loss studio recommended to me. Only after a few treatments, I had a full head of hair again. The results were excellent, they did not just give me my hair back but also my confidence.
Posted in Living With Gender Issues, Self Improvement Center, The Healthy Way | Comments Off
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
My hair loss treatment journey begun the day I started to notice my thinning hair and my bald spot becoming bigger. I would spend hours and hours looking for styles to comb my hair a particular way to cover my hair loss. I began wearing more hats on the weekends as I went out with my wife, acquaintances or family. Walking in to work every morning was a tough experience without my hat on. Your mind will do that to you when you are going through hair loss. It is so true that you never know what you have until you lose it. That can be accurate about your hair loss.
As I looked in the mirror I started to appreciate every one of the hair strands I had left. It was as if with each strand of hair I lost, so was a small percentage of my confidence gone as well. A friend of mine had been having the same problem as me. Yet recently he appeared so much more relaxed and I noticed that it was as if his hair was growing back. I never wanted to bring it up but after a while I decided to ask. That is when he told me about Advanced Hair Studio. With just a few visits my friend John had not only regained his hair, but his self-assurance as well. After speaking to Josh and understanding what Advanced Hair has done for him, I took the courage to make an appointment for a free hair check.
At first, I was a little sceptical. But effects were evident within a few weeks. Not only on my head, but in my behaviour. I began to lose the hats on the weekends and I quickly started to feel better about myself. My wife who has been complaining about my lack of interest in our relationship began to notice the change in that department as well. It is amazing how just a few consultations to the Advanced Hair Studio had begun to change my life as a whole. I always felt as if the first thing people noticed about me was my bald spot. Now, I am not concerned to look people in the eyes again as I have my full set of self esteem back.
Advance Hair Studio has not only given me back my hair little by little, but a big piece of my confidence as well. If you are suffering from hair loss I highly recommend them as it has done so much for me in just a few months of treatments. Don’t let baldness take your self-assurance away.
Posted in Beauty Tips, Self Improvement Center, The Healthy Way | Comments Off
Thursday, July 9th, 2009
Most say I’m a uniter not a divider, due to the fact matchmaking is natural for me. I always recommend having Great Expectations. No escaping it, cupid happens when you’re not looking. Expert dating advisors, like this dating service called Great Expectations Milwaukee with a long-history of dating expertise, understand their members individually. Great dating services orchestrate optimized blind dates among shared friends, just like I do. That’s just a little task delivering big promise by improving relationships for years to come.
I’ve casually shared more than my share of advice online and to quality Milwaukee singles. This article isn’t clich©s. You’ve heard them all, I’m sure. Pay attention to social cues, dispaly some sense of style, try not to be afraid to use charm, be honest and (this is key) don’t start grading the people you date on a checklist. Relate to your date at your own pace! Allow for spontanaity in any situation. Here’s a big no-no: keep it real and don’t complicate things needlessly, attempting to pass as something other than what you are. What if the relation becomes longer-term, then you’ll have to reveal your lies. Of course there are perks to joining Great Expectations Milwaukee. It’s no secret that dating advice is my profession I have kept up with for years. Couples I matched from singles around me earned me my brand of sorts. The results are everywhere.
Look at Stacy and Juan now toting about their 4 little ones. Take a stab at who introduced these two at an architecture luncheon five years ago, and the result is hard to argue with. Frank and Stephanie also hit it right off because I introduced them at a wedding not long ago. But most importantly my soririty sister Andrea and her perfect match, Teddy. They say their vowes in Vegas this August. I love them both and they found eachother with Great Expectations, from my endorsement.
It appears I’ve been busy and very efficient too! But it’s also a curse, while I’ve been thanklessly matching up Milwaukee’s singles discover how to find companionship, I forgot to tend to my own dating happiness. What goes down when the matchmaker requests an arrow shot her way? I can’t wait to meet desirable Great Expectations Milwaukee singles, because if one is you’re a pro makes you a perfectionist. Perhaps these sentiments has kept me from really getting serious about dating. Of all people, I should realize that it’s tough to live this world without a little help. So here I am, listening to my own tips by having.
Vanessa Noe
The Dating Guru
Posted in Finding Friends Online, Help For You, Self Improvement Center | Comments Off
Thursday, May 21st, 2009
Everyone’s a poet.
Of course, everyone’s a critic, too! This means that
there are plenty of opportunities to heighten our awareness
of words and how we use them.
Words create pictures, and just as a painter uses a combination
of colors and strokes to express a concept, we offer an artistic
rendering of thoughts through carefully chosen words.
Our linguistic intelligence is what allows us to both recognize
and generate vivid word vignettes. Whether you enjoy novels,
biographies, mysteries, sonnets, haiku, song lyrics, conversations,
soliloquies, or newspaper stories, you can develop greater word
awareness by focusing on descriptive phrases.
In our everyday speech, we tend to speak in phrases and
punctuate these with expressions, pauses, gestures, or laughter.
Although the words themselves convey meaning, the total picture
we create is a combination of inflection, context, juxtaposition,
and even eye contact.
Don’t think you have your own personal poetry style? Think again.
You use words in your own way, and it’s likely that, given an
assignment to express a particular concept, your version would
have recognizable elements.
Try this test: describe a birthday cake.
There’s a good chance that you would use words to express
the shape, flavor, color, decoration, ingredients, size, and
presentation of a cake, and that the precise way you do that
would be unique when compared to others’ descriptions. In
addition, you’re likely to come up with a different description
if asked to do so a month from now.
You can easily and enjoyably boost your word awareness by
1) selecting a particular cue word as a trigger for mindfulness, or
2) focusing on phrases used in specific settings.
Better yet, try both!
By using a particular word as a mindfulness trigger, you can
watch how others create poetic representations of the same
element.
Ready for your secret food awareness word?
Here it is: morsel.
Listening for a specific word will develop your ability to
make distinctions in the way it is used and allow you to
watch for subtle variations. Does “morsel” refer to
something creamy or chewy? Is it savory or sweet?
To play with poetry and mindfulness at the same time,
notice phrases used to describe food. Listen to them
with an ear for rhythm, and picture them as lines of a poem.
Read menu descriptions, food articles or cookbooks and
be aware of the adjectives most likely to get your mouth
watering. Sensual words like “succulent” and “luscious”
elicit physiological responses. Pay attention to those, and
listen for the phrases you hear that create especially vivid
sense experiences.
Linking word pictures with taste helps us anchor our
linguistic intelligence with our bodily intelligence, and this
makes our mouths very happy indeed.
Delectable words,
Delicious poetry. Mmmm–
True taste sensation.
Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse in Portland, Oregon. Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she teaches fun and effective eyes-wide-open alternatives to meditation. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, please visit http://www.MassageYourMind.com
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Tuesday, April 14th, 2009
It is such a rewarding experience when you reach out to someone else. It feels great when someone reaches out to you, but when you take the time and energy out of your life to help someone else if just feels so wonderful. When first meeting someone it is great when you initiate the conversation. You take the first step and get the ball rolling. The eye contact is so important because it let’s the other person know that you are present and truly want to connect with them.
If you have ever had a conversation with someone that is not looking at you then you will know how strange it is and how you don’t feel a true connection. After initiating and looking in the eye it is so good when you find something that you both like and have in common. Or if you don’t have something in common it is great if you understand their point of view and respect it because this is the healthiest option. Each of us views things a certain way for a specific reason; and that is what is so great about this world, that we can view things differently and be alright.
If I meet someone and I just love dogs but they don’t and prefer cats, then that is cool. I am not going to get all agitated about the love for dogs, they should love dogs, dogs are great and I can respect that. It makes for such a better place to live when we can appreciate our differences and respect them. It makes for such a great place to live when a relationship is initiated and sought after.
Posted in Relationships, Self Improvement Center | Comments Off
Tuesday, March 10th, 2009
Positive self-esteem is very important if not crucial to our happiness and well being as a human being. Having positive self-esteem can make the difference in that which we take on in life, in that which we go about achieving and creating. Having positive self- esteem also allows us to have healthy and joyous relationships with others, to experience true intimacy. One could also assert that having positive self-esteem gives us access to genuine spirituality. Poor self-esteem, on the other hand, creates the space for us to experience a great deal of negativity in life including depression, anxiety, fear, stress and loneliness. Negative or poor self-esteem is also highly correlated with alcohol and drug dependency. Some even believe that a negative or poor self-image is the source of such addictions.
While it appears that the importance of positive self-esteem is somewhat understood, the unanswered question has always been about how to improve or enhance a person’s self-esteem. Some belief that a person’s self-esteem rests upon them being successful, in accomplishing that which they take on in life, of achieving goals that they have set for themselves. As a result much effort is put into assisting others in effectively and efficiently planning their doing in life. Others believe that our sense of self-esteem is determined by the type of relationships that we have, that by surrounding ourselves with positive people who will appreciate and acknowledge us that our esteem will be positively impacted. To this end training is given to help a person improve his interpersonal skills, how he communicates and relates with others. While both of these endeavors are important, it is not the having or doing that creates positive self-esteem. Ones self-esteem is not given or to be obtained from without, external to the person.
One very effective way to improve self-esteem is through the use of positive affirmations. Positive affirmations are very powerful for transforming how a person feels and thinks about himself, ultimately influencing how he views and acts within the world and towards others. The fundamental reason why positive affirmations are so effective is that their nature or structure reflects what already exists in our mind. Our identity or who we think we are, our current thinking patterns, are also a series of affirmations, composed fundamentally of mere words or language. Everything we think, all of the thoughts that we have, are merely affirmations. Positive affirmations, when used consistently, begin to alter our prevalent internal language pattern, as negative as it may be, our inner self talk or dialogue that exists within us. The end result of the consistent use of positive affirmations is the transformation of an inner negative language pattern into one that is positive in nature
The most effective way to use positive affirmations is with the individual’s own voice. While a person can have a beneficial result from listening to a commercially developed product that employs positive affirmations recorded by another, the transformative power of this technology is enhanced or strengthened by the positive messages being delivered in the person’s own voice. By using a person’s own voice to transform the inner dialogue, there is less resistance to the transformational process due to the fact that the voice itself is the same or identical. It is as though the negative voice or language pattern that one hears repeatedly in life is altered or transformed by the consistent exposure and listening to that same voice but with the structure of positive enhancing affirmations. Eventually the structure will transform from one that is negative to one that is positive in nature.
The process of using ones own voice in doing work with positive affirmations can be strengthened with the use of therapeutic relaxation music. While the use of ones own voice is very powerful for creating change in a person’s life, the use of specially designed therapeutic relaxation music assists in creating the audio space for this process to be very powerful. We tend to be more open or suggestible to positive affirmations or language when we are in a state of relaxation. When combined with binaural audio tones the relaxing affect of the therapeutic relaxation music is greatly enhanced. When used with the combined effect of the therapeutic relaxation music and binaural audio tones and consistently, the positive enhancing affirmations that are delivered will have such a profound affect upon improving and transforming a person’s internal, self-talk and eventually his self-esteem.
The technology of utilizing positive affirmations that are recorded in a person’s own voice and therapeutic relaxation music is currently being employed in the treatment of those suffering from substance dependency problems. At the Holistic Addiction Treatment Program in North Miami Beach, Florida, clients are given access to this powerful technology. Clients have the ability to create personal affirmations that empower them and support their recovery and also are able to record these affirmations. The recorded positive affirmations are then mixed with specially designed therapeutic relaxation music to create a powerful audio product to assist the individual in his recovery. Once created the client is trained in the most effective manner in which to utilize their personal CD as part of their overall recovery plan. Those clients who utilize this powerful technology tend to improve their self- esteem, stay in recovery and improve the quality of their life in general. When a person feels and thinks more positively about himself he tends to be more positive towards everything that he is taking on in his life, including and most importantly his recovery.
Harry Henshaw, Ed.D., LMHC
http://www.enhancedhealing.com
Dr Harry Henshaw is in private practice in North Miami Beach, Florida. www.enhancedhealing.com
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Monday, March 9th, 2009
Just look around you, it’s a beautiful world out there. Life is wonderful provided you have the time and can afford to sit back and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. This is a feeling that hits us every now and then. And then when we realize that we have to be confined within the walls of an office, doing work that has no scope for imagination, we end up depressed. Every job loses its charm after some time if nothing is done to keep the job interesting. To make things worse, there are too many distractions around us. We end up thinking , “this is not the job that I wanted to be doing”. And when we realize that we will be doing this same job probably till the end of our employment days, we will want to scream. However, there is a correlation between self improvement and motivation in your career.
How to take advantage of this to increase your career motivation? It is a human tendency to get bored after time, with something whether it’s in a career, relationship or something else. When we start a new job or career, for the first couple of weeks we are like the peasant boy who walked into a new palace. Every thing in the job or career is new and interesting and our interest is completely captured. We try to learn things as quickly as possible in the job and are eager to impress and prove to the world and ourselves that we are perfect for the job or career. But after a few months we get used to everything and slowly the job or career begins to lose it’s charm.
We get bored with our work and start looking for greener pastures. It is at this stage in our job or career that procrastination starts raising its ugly head. If the tasks that we are doing are repetitive ad monotonous, the picture becomes bleaker. Along with this, if the job requires that we remain on our toes all day long, then the future is sealed. It is in such situations that we need to keep ourselves motivated in our job or career.
Speaking from a job organization behavioral point of view let us take a look at what motivation is all about and how to improve it. The human brain as I mentioned earlier is a virtual warehouse of energy. There is nothing that we cannot do once we put our minds to it. Yeah, sure, all that has been proved time and again, but along with it comes a string attached. The same brain is easily distracted. In fact our imagination is probably the one thing that can travel faster than light. And so it is not an easy task to keep the brain occupied in the same task for an extended period of time. If the job is monotonous the task becomes more difficult and if the job is demanding and involves a lot of pressure to keep time, then you are done for.
Motivation can be thought of as the process of channeling the surplus energy of the brain towards a definite goal or purpose.
So how long can the human mind focus on the same thing? Studies have shown that the maximum attention span of an average human being is just 45 minutes. 45 minutes? So much for those meetings and discussions that lasted for three or four hours! No wonder nothing much comes out of such meetings. In all likelihood most of the audience conked out after the first 45 minutes and after that focused their attention on staying awake.
If you have a good boss or supervisor, then the task of keeping you motivated rests with them. But even then, you have the responsibility to keep yours self motivated and believe me, self motivation is the best motivation because it comes from within.
Terje Brooks Ellingsen is a writer and internet publisher. He runs the website 1st-Self_Improvement.net. Terje is a Sociologist who enjoys contributing to the personal growth and happiness of others. He tries to accomplish this by writing about self help issues from his own experience and knowledge. For example, personal improvement and motivation as well as motivation in careers.
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Sunday, March 1st, 2009
If you are an entrepreneur, you know that your success cannot depend on the opinions of others. Like the wind, opinions change…like the weather, opinions change frequently. To succeed at any endeavor, you must stay the course…no matter what the cost! Here are some surefire tips to help you on your journey.
1. Avoid Negativity. Negative people are all around us. They can include our loved ones as well as a dear friend. Most often, it is the opinions of total strangers that breeds the most negativity as if someone who doesn’t know or understand you is able to voice a reasonably thought out opinion about you.
No, you shouldn’t avoid those who are close to you, rather there are areas of conversation that are less profitable. Accept criticism constructively, but steer the conversation away from nonstop negative banter. Negativity will grow on you unless you take control.
2. Build Yourself Up. No, I do not mean for you to puff yourself up with pride, rather you can be your best source of encouragement by encouraging yourself. How can you do this? Read the testimonies of other entrepreneurs/succeeders who have gone before you. Current day success stories of people who have gone from “rags to riches” [or from simple means to great influence] include personalities like Oprah Winfrey, Martha Stewart, and Bill Gates. Yesterday’s success stories are numerous and include: Thomas Edison, Harry S. Truman, and Abraham Lincoln.
3. Go Back to Square One. Should you find yourself wavering, recall those things that encouraged you to take your “step of faith” in the first place. Recall what it takes to succeed: discipline, self confidence, independence, hard work, sacrifice, etc. Look forward to the anticipated results: a good income, independence, a job you love, etc. Finally, remember the worst job you ever worked…imagine yourself working there again. Blah! Use whatever it takes to motivate you.
So, toss off the negative thoughts and embrace that which is uplifting, inspiring, encouraging, warm, friendly, and helpful. You are on track to achieving great things as long as you do not let yourself become derailed by the negative words of others.
Matthew Keegan is The Article Writer who writes on just about any and every issue imaginable. You can preview samples from his high performing site at http://www.thearticlewriter.com
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Thursday, February 26th, 2009
For any aspect of self-improvement, there has to be a reason for you to start and keep going. That is your motivation – the reason for doing what you do. In order to attempt any sort of improvement in your life, you need to be motivated in some way to get started. Strategies for self-improvement start with defining what it is you want to achieve and then charting a course through which you can effect the improvements or changes. These do not have to be drastic changes – they could be something as simple as making time for yourself to write in a journal each day or something to improve your health, such as quitting smoking.
Motivation comes from within. It is something that you want to do for you. This is what keeps you going, getting up each day and going off to work. Children are often the motivating force behind parents saving money, when they would ordinarily blow it on something frivolous. You know that you will need money for your children’s higher education or to give them the extras that they want, such as toys and brand name clothing. This is the reason that you work each day, maintain a home and spend time enjoying each other.
If you don’t have something to look forward to or see some sense of gratification in what you do, then there is no motivation to get doing it. Just meeting with colleagues helps you get a sense of who you are and your place in the world. Socialization, confidence and improvement are three main aspects of life. When you enjoy life, you can be motivated to achieve great things. Achievement does not have to be something that everyone recognizes. It can be something as simple as learning to make a quilt or to use a saw to create beautiful woodwork. The end result is the feeling of accomplishment that you have in yourself.
If you need self-help information or have articles on self-help issues, visit our Self Improventment issues section for more in-depth resources. Free Article Distribution
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